


Enter Sandman

by GodSendConspirator



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:59:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3065318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodSendConspirator/pseuds/GodSendConspirator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dolorosa finds herself stranded with Mindfang. Will she fight for her former master or let her die?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enter Sandman

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure on ratings yet because I haven't written the other chapters yet so they're ambiguous at the moment.

The pearl white sands of the deserted beach absorbed the blue blood of her mistress readily and hungrily, ravenous for any form of moisture that may reach it's barren lips. The Dolorosa worked furiously upon her master's severed arm, doing her best to stem the bleeding and to conserve her life. Her many years underground and raising the Signless paid off now, as she slowly brought back the Mindfang from the cusp of oblivion.

She had been just able to save her mistress from her burning fleet. She saw it only as repaying a favor, her mistress had saved her life from an assassination attempt so why should she not save her from the legislacerators? Just this once. For many hours she slaved over her mistress and did not rest, not until her master slept comfortably, no longer in risk of dying. 

Leaning against a palm tree, the Mindfang comfortable upon a bed of fronds, the Dolorosa gazed up into the sky. She remembered her old life, looking into the same sky with her child, learning the names of constellations together as she became accustomed to life above ground. Turning her head back to her sleeping master she though of why she bothered to stay. This woman no longer owned her, she could not even detain her by force. Not when she was short both an eye and an arm. 

With the world once more before her she knew not why she remained caught in the grip of her master. Was the mind control that she had once layered her mind with still prevalent over her own emotions? Perhaps, but she knew these feelings and thoughts were her own, so why stay she asked again. 

Perhaps it was because she had nothing anymore. All her life the Dolorosa had a goal. First she sought for simple things, to serve the Mother Grub in the caverns to the best of her ability, but finding The Sufferer had changed her desires. She had only wished to raise the child, to make him strong and to love him. From her care his goals had risen far beyond hers, a leap towards the stars. 

After that her goal was to help him in any way, to bring his dream to fruition, for the happiness of her child is always first in this mother's mind. Then it all fell apart and she was left with nothing. She became chattel and her goals were rendered obsolete. Is that why she stayed with the arachnid temptress? Was this cobalt fiend her only rock left? Surely she had tortured the Dolorosa and nothing she could do would redeem her of her crimes.

But she had also shown kindness and, perhaps, love to the Dolorosa. Even if the Dolorosa's feelings were manipulated and Mindfang's intentions were less than saintly, feelings whose veritability could not be questioned had developed. She was the only thing the Dolorosa had, and she would hold onto it. 

Her ward seemed to be stirring. The Dolorosa was astounded by the resilience of the Mindfang. She opened her only remaining eye and squinted to behold the radiance emanating from the Dolorosa. She smiled, her fangs glinting wickedly.

"I knew that controlling you would pay off. Couldn't leave your poor master to die, could you, my slave bitch?"

The Dolorosa looked upon Mindfang with anger. She grasped the ripped lapels of her coat and dragged her to sit against the tree they leaned against. She slapped her then, hard and elicited a shocked gasp from the Mindfang. Glaring into her only remaining eye the Dolorosa spoke quietly, but fiercely.

"I am no longer you're slave. I no longer serve your whims. I have saved you and I can leave you to die. There is nothing you can do to stop me so you will treat me as an equal or you will wither in these sands."

Mindfang looked upon her former slave with a new light. Never before had the Dolorosa shown such anger towards her.

"You will also cease to address me as your slave or as your bitch. My name is Porrim, you will address me as such."

Mindfang's mind ceased to whirl and she understood her words. She could not trick and weasel her way out of this situation. As far as she knew, her fleet was gone, her men were dead, and a bitch on a dragon pursued her. For once in her life, Mindfang would be forced to participate on another's terms. But this was a skill she was in sore need of practice in.

"Aranea."

Porrim turned to her and leaned her head in confusion, "What?"

"Your name is Porrim. Mine is Aranea. Pleased to meet you."

Aranea held out her hand and waited for the Dolorosa to grasp it. When she did she hauled herself up and gazed out towards the sea. Turning, she saw the expanse of desert that lay before them. 

"Were there any other survivors?" she asked.

"No. Not to my knowledge."

She sighed heavily. The only path that lay before them was the desert. Turning to Porrim she spoke again, "If you will not leave me then help me. Come with me to the cave of the one who spared the Disciple."

She turned and looked back to the sea, "Then I will no longer need you. And you may leave me with a clear conscience."

The Dolorosa turned down her head. She had not meant that she wished to leave Mindfang, nor that she only did this because she would feel guilty if she did not. She hated the feelings, but they remained there, latent for the Mindfang. Regardless, she would keep with the Mindfang, but for how long? she knew not.

"I will accompany you, but you must rest before we go. The desert does not offer pity upon those it finds ill prepared." 

Aranea cocked her head, puzzled, "You lived in the desert? What could have been the cause for that?"

"I lived for many sweeps in the dunes, these very ones if truth be told. It was necessary to keep my child alive. I still hold the memories of the sands well."

Aranea smiled, wrapping one arm around Porrim she laughed, "Well then I guess that we'll make it to the sweaty moron's cave in no time."

Begrudgingly, Porrim removed Aranea's hand from her shoulder. Turning from Aranea, she walked to the edge of the surf and looked upon the horizon, awaiting the rising sun. Aranea stood for a moment, wondering at the Dolorosa, before shrugging and returning to her palm frond bed. 

~~~

The moon shone brightly off the sands that Aranea and Porrim tread upon. They had been walking for two days, Aranea subsisting on the fruit they had harvested from the beach and rum that had washed ashore, Porrim on the small desert rats that flitted across the sand. Their speed was no match for the Dolorosa as she flew across the sands, catching and consuming the beasts with a ferocity that Aranea had never seen. 

Throughout their trek they had spoken little, for what had they to speak of? They were not entirely willing partners in this. Mindfang still wished to keep her once prized slave to herself, however, and actively attempted to open conversation with her. 

"So how long have you been a rainbow drinker?"

"A very long time."

Aranea pouted. This was the norm for her responses, curt and to the point. She did not seem to wish to speak to Aranea. Mindfang would just need to find a suitable topic for them. 

In silence they trudged on, resolute in their mission despite their physical pain. Eventually, the sun peeked above the horizon and they found themselves in dire need of an alcove in which to spend the day.

"There!" Aranea pointed with her remaining hand to a small cluster of rocks surrounding a hole in the ground. Upon further inspection they discovered that the hole led to an abandoned cave, covered in cave drawings.

Aranea instantly settled herself against the wall of the cave and stretched out, relaxing her aching body of the pains accrued from the perilous trek.

"Could you take my boots off for me Porrim? I can't really get them off with just the one arm."

Porrim removed the knee high red boots and set them against the wall, settling herself next to Aranea. She may not relish the thought of being with the Mindfang, but it was hard to resist the prospect regardless, thus Porrim allowed herself to enjoy her, if only physically. Against her will, her heart fluttered as Aranea lay her head on her shoulder and stared at the cave paintings before them.

"Tell me a story," Aranea chirped up. Porrim started, having thought that the Mindfang had drifted off to sleep.

"Why would I?'

Aranea pouted, "Because I can't sleep." She reached for Porrim's hand with her good arm, but Porrim drew it away at her touch. 

'Please? Tell me about working in the caverns. Or how it was with the Signless. Really, anything. Please?"

Porrim sighed, she was unable to resist the pleading eyes that Aranea directed at her. In her final days of tenure upon the Mindfang's ship, Aranea had used her power less and her physical wiles more often, often getting the Dolorosa to succumb with simply a glance. Even now, bloody and tired, Aranea was still as tempting as ever. 

"Very well, sit back and be astounded by my tales of woe! My particular blood caste is fit only for a single job. That job is, of course, to tend to the mother grub. One day, while I ran errands through the caverns I came across... mmph!"

The Mindfang had covered Porrim's mouth with her hand, effectively shooshing her. 

"Your gorgeous dear, but you can't tell a story worth a damn."

Porrim was flushed from embarrassment, "You told me to tell a story so I am."

"i know, it's my fault. I have poor judgement. Let me show you how to tell a story."

Aranea picked herself up and settled against the opposite wall. She patted her lap softly and beckoned Porrim to succumb to her soft caresses, something Porrim couldn't resist no matter how badly she wanted to. With her fingers twirling through Porrim's hair, Aranea began.

"A sweep ago, while you were still at the height of your holy mission, I was having fun upon the high seas. Arm and arm with my Kismesis Dualscar, we plundered the seas, always a step ahead of the law, and a step ahead of each other. On one of our infamous dual raids, we happened upon a particular piece of treasure neither of us were capable of giving up to the other. We decided that, until one of us gave up our right to the treasure, it would stay on the captured ship, shich both of our ships were moored to. For weeks we fought over it, our crews in a stalemate, ready to die for their captain's wealth. This is, however, not a position you would want to find yourself in when you are an outlaw.

While we feuded like children the legislacerators were able to catch up to us and pin us. It was our two ships against three of the best skips they possessed. For days they peppered us with spells and fire, but still we stood at a stalemate. I knew that Dualscar would eventually give up when the damage to his ship grew too great, but it was foolish of me to expect equal treatment between us in the eyes of the legislacerators.

The police system of Alternia is notoriously corrupt, pandering to the needs of highbloods, a fact I have taken advantage of many times before. However, when face with a simple noble and royalty, it's obvious who they will favor. Dualscar made a deal with them to destroy my ship and he would gift to them my gold upon my defeat. The naive fool didn't know that I had an ace up my sleeve. This was before he knew of my psychic manipulation and I managed to sway the minds of the teal bloods that circled my ship like sharks.

We both possessed fast ships then, but his was by far faster than mine. I convinced the foolish law enforcement to covertly burn the rudder of his ship. Then i cut the ropes between our ships and sailed away. He pursued but his burnt rudder hindered him. He killed the legislacerators in his anger and I got away with the treasure. Such was our game."

The Dolorosa lifted her head, "What was the treasure?"

Aranea smiled and pet the Dolorosa's head, "Perhaps I'll tell you later dear."

Porrim huffed and got off of Aranea's lap, but remained next to her. In silence they bore many hours, Mindfang resting against the Dolorosa and likewise. Eventually, the rays of the sun ceased and they prepared to leave their enclosure, but as Aranea peeked above the lip of the hole, she saw a dark figure on all fours approaching swiftly across the sands. She leapt back down into the Dolorosa.

"There's something coming," she whispered urgently.

The Dolorosa dragged Aranea away from the entrance to their cave and drew a dagger from the sash on her waist. She knew it had been too good to believe that the cave was abandoned and now she had to fight to keep Aranea alive.

She heard the rapid footsteps from above before the creature descended upon them. It stood on two legs, a wild mane surrounding it's features, claws descended. In her fear, Porrim lit herself as brightly as she could, forcing Aranea to avert her eyes and removing the cover of the night from their attacker. Their aggressor lifted an arm to its eyes, but Porrim had already seen her face.

"Meulin?" 

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the opening of this one. I wanted to toy with writing internal dilemmas and a cognizant thought process and i think i did pretty well with it. Leave a comment and thanks for reading. 
> 
> P.S. (I love writing subtle manipulation.)


End file.
